Immortal Longings
by kimbercullen
Summary: Halloween at the Cullen mansion holds many surprises; one of which Bella is seriously unprepared for. After a loss of control in the presence of her new vampire family, Bella finds herself learning how to control her sexual urges from an unlikely source.


**Immortal Longings**

**By: kimbercullen**

**Submitted for Haunted Twilight Challenge**

**Please check out other Challenge Entries at : **

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**Rating: M, contains major lemon**

**Summary: Halloween at the Cullen mansion comes with many surprises; one of which Bella is seriously unprepared for. After a serious loss of self-control in the presence of her new vampire family, Bella finds herself learning how to control her sexual urges from the most unlikely of sources. **

**BPOV**

Halloween Night at the Cullen mansion…Things couldn't possibly get any more strange than a night dedicated to dressing up in costume, plunging your face into a deep barrel of ice cold water to obtain an apple, and finding enjoyment in watching Michael Meyers stab an unsuspecting, sexually active teenager for the hundredth time.

Or so I thought…

I'd been a vampire for over a year. I'd known the Cullens for even longer, and had become accustomed to certain things…Edward's continual vigilance, Emmett and Jasper's penchant to wager on just about anything, Rose's constant dominance, Esme's desire for the All-American family, and Carlisle's centuries-old quest for knowledge.

Most of all, I'd become used to Alice's incessant need to one-up anyone who claimed they could do something better than she could. Weddings, birthday parties, graduations, or even family dinners with my father, Sue, and the wolves…it didn't matter. Everything always had to be perfect, and everything always had to be huge. Halloween was no exception.

Actually, I take that back…Halloween _was _the exception, but not in size or precision. If there was one occasion where Alice set aside her need for political…or in this case, mythological…correctness, it was All Hallows Eve.

Nothing was sacred, and nothing was taboo.

Now, I still happened upon occasions where I was almost embarrassed at ever buying into the crazy mythologies surrounding vampires and werewolves in pop culture. Internal combustion in sunlight, large fangs, and the ability to turn into a bat at will were, of course, not the reality of living as a vampire. Full moons did not cause Jacob to howl into the night or to grow five-inch long, fungus encrusted talons. And, to be fair, I seriously doubted that Frankenstein was as inept as he'd always been portrayed.

So you can understand my disbelief when I'd walked into the expansive living room of the Cullen home on the morning of October 31st. You could damn well say I was just as shocked as if I had walked in on Charlie and Sue in the middle of their newly-wedded honeymoon fuck fest.

It had been a well-known fact that Mr. Stanley had for the last ten years won the Chamber of Commerce's award for Best Halloween Haunt. Affectionately known as the Official Halloween Guy of Forks, Washington, there existed not one soul in the area that had ever come close to beating him into submission.

At least, not until the arrival of the Cullens.

I remember Alice's face vividly when I'd told her this. Eyebrows raised, lips pursed, and wearing an expression of great determination, she'd declared that Stanley's days as the official Halloween guru were numbered. I couldn't help but smile at this. Knowing Alice as well as I did, I had no doubt in my mind that she would blow his inflated ego all the way to Volterra.

And what a warm welcome he'd receive.

This Halloween, Alice had taken great pains to make our home the biggest, scariest, and…to my own horror…most stereotypically "haunted vampire lair" this side of the Mississippi.

Huge black bats hung from the ceiling, and hundreds of dusty cobwebs and white candles adorned the walls. Decapitated bodies lay strewn over chairs and along the floor, and sticky puddles of fake blood trailed up and down the stairs. Life-sized coffins, most likely on loan from the local mortuary, were strategically positioned around the room under an array of black lights that drenched everything in a fluorescent hue.

Hell, she'd even thought enough to included the wolves in her little theme. A huge disco ball which resembled a full harvest moon hung in the center of the room. Gigantic animatronic figures of every kind of werewolf from every B-rated horror flick imaginable lurked in corners and behind tattered black curtains, ready to pounce and claw at unsuspecting human prey from the darkness .

To say this was completely over the top, not to mention seriously mocking of our kind, was an understatement. Ok, maybe I was taking the whole thing too personally. But after spending the larger part of a summer defending my vampire family against the misguided notions of a bunch of wolves, and then having to turn around and uphold that our wolfy counterparts were not simply a pack of drooling, rabid fleabags…well, you could say that I'd become an official advocate for the ethical treatment of mythological creatures.

However, the embarrassment of the entire scene seemed completely lost on the rest of my family. Carlisle and Esme simply beamed at Alice's vampy wonderland. Edward only snickered, inspecting each display with a movie critic's eye, pointing out where Alice had failed in her attempts at "realism" or had skimped on the amount of fake blood used.

But most surprisingly, it had been Emmett and Rosalie who had become the life of the party--Emmett, in his "traditional" Dracula attire and Rosalie, dressed in a sexy, black, and extremely tight Elvira number. It was the most shameful sight I'd ever seen. They'd even bought matching pairs of fake plastic fangs for the occasion.

Of course, Alice's parties always went off without a hitch and this one was no exception. Even I'd had a great time, despite my dislike of parties and my constant criticism of her lack of political correctness.

I had to admit, I was actually a bit sad to see the last of our guests drive down the dirt path toward the highway. I wasn't sure how much longer we'd remain in Forks, making this Halloween bittersweet. I hadn't wanted it to end.

Little did I know that the real party was just beginning…

I lowered myself onto a closed coffin along the wall, a bit depressed that this might be the last Halloween I would ever spend in Forks. The corners of my eyes stung, and if there had been any time in the last year I'd wished to be human again, it was at that very moment.

Sensing my distress, Edward made his way to my side in an instant.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, snaking his arm around my waist and kissing my hair gently. "I thought you were having a good time."

"I was," I said. "I just feel like time is flying by so fast. And I know we can't stay here forever. It's a little depressing."

Edward stroked my cheek with his fingers, a habit he had acquired while I was still human. Although he could no longer wipe away my tears, the sentiment of that single action was still very much alive. I leaned into him, turning my head to place a grateful kiss on his soft lips.

Of course, this was a huge mistake on my part. One small kiss from Edward always had a tendency to draw me in further, causing me to completely lose control. And it didn't matter where we were or what company we were in. When the urge struck, I instantly turned into a writhing, sex-obsessed maniac.

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself straddling Edward's lap and attacking him ferociously. I could hear the snickers and whispers around us, but I didn't care. I couldn't stop. At that moment, the only thought in my mind was that I wanted to rip Edward's clothes off, throw him down hard onto his back, and completely ravage every inch of his scrumptious body.

"Bella," Edward whispered, trying to block my hands as they tugged at the fabric of his shirt. "Bella…love…calm down."

"I don't _want_ to calm down," I growled. "I want you inside of me…_right now_!"

More laughter ensued as I tore his buttons off in one swift strike, exposing his hard chest. He leaned backward, trying to release himself from my strong grip. But I was too strong. Stronger than Emmett, and definitely stronger than Edward. I persisted in wrestling him for control, and it wasn't until the coffin slid off its base and threw us both crashing to the floor that I finally was able to come to my senses.

Edward quickly stood up, reaching down to take my hand and help me up from the mess broken tiles created by our impact.

"Are you ok?" he asked, searching me up and down for any sign of injury. Of course there wasn't. I was virtually indestructible. We all were.

As I began to regain my composure, I looked around the room. Every member of my new family had effectively lost themselves in hysterical laughter. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett looked on the verge of tears. Carlisle and Esme, in true parental form, feigned disapproving glances while unsuccessfully trying to keep their own laughter at bay.

Rose simply shook her head disapprovingly.

"I'm so sorry," I said, quickly smoothing down my skirt and feeling utterly embarrassed. "God, I'll never get over this? Shouldn't my stupid vampy hormones be leveling out a bit by now?"

Carlisle pursed his lips, looking pensive as he considered my question.

"Well, Bella…that's not a very easy question to answer. You have to remember that you're very different than the rest of us in a number of ways. As a newborn, you've always held a higher amount of self-control than the rest of us would have ever imagined you capable of. But in this respect…"

"You also need to remember," Edward said, rubbing my shoulders. "Your abilities and feelings prior to your transformation are carried over into this life and increased tenfold. And…well…Bella love…"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Emmett chuckled. "Just spit it out, bro! She was in a fucking sex coma before her transformation. So now she's like…Jenna Jamison on speed, man!"

"Lay off, Emm," Edward sighed, shooting him a threatening glare. "She can't help it."

"It's not that fucking hard to control the urges, Edward. I mean, look at me. I was a fucking stud in my previous life and I'm perfectly in control now."

"Oh, please," Rosalie laughed. "You're hornier than a six-peckered tomcat in a pussy patch!"

Alice and Jasper completely lost it, and Esme…looking slightly taken aback at Rose's euphemism…simply nodded her head in agreement.

"I am not," Emmett pouted, looking embarrassed. "I have oodles of self-control. Right Rosie?"

"Oh yeah," she chuckled. "You're the poster boy for abstinence. I blink, and you fucking get hard."

"Fuck you," he sniffed. "I've lived with your perky peppers long enough to build up a resistance."

"Really?" Rose said, looking him over for a moment. "Care to wager a bet on that?"

"Don't fucking tempt me woman! You know you don't stand a chance against me."

"No, wait," Jasper inserted. "This could actually be quite interesting. Count me in on this one."

"What the hell, man?" Emmett ruffled. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

"In this case, I think I'll go with the sure thing." Jasper smiled at Rose, and Emmett crossed his arms.

Edward reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

"Shit, not you too!"

"Hey," Edward cut in. "If you think you're so badass that you have more control than the rest of us, then you need to be ready to put your money where your mouth is. A thousand dollars says you can't resist Rosie's charms for more than ten minutes."

Edward walked over to Jasper and handed him ten crisp $100 bills.

"Anyone else want in on this?" Jasper asked, looking around. "Carlisle?"

"Son, you know I don't make it a habit to choose sides," Carlisle smiled. "But, seeing as it's Halloween…I'll give him fifteen minutes."

"Thanks for your support, pops!" Emmett sighed.

"Make me proud, son," Carlisle said. Esme slapped him lightly on the shoulder, then snaked her arm around his waist.

"So Alice," Emmett said, looking defeated already. "I suppose you'll want in on this one too.

"No thanks," Alice shook her head. "I'm exempt, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" he brightened. "Well then Jasper's out too! You probably fucking predicted this was gonna happen and told him the outcome already."

"Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't. What's the problem?"

"You're fucking cheating! That's the problem!"

"Doubting your abilities already?" Alice said, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Emmett stammered. "I'm just…thinking it wouldn't be fair to everyone else."

"Jesus," Rosalie sighed. "Are we gonna stand here all night yapping, or are we gonna get down to business?"

"Ok, fine. To keep it fair and keep Emm from throwing a tantrum, me and Alice are out."

"Good," Emmett puffed up, clapping his hands together. "Let's get this over with."

"Hey, what about me?" I interjected.

"What about you?" Emmett laughed. "You aren't seriously going to play with the big boys."

"Two thousand dollars says you can't last five minutes before you're begging her for mercy," I stated firmly.

"You're fucking out of your mind," Emmett protested.

"Scared?"

"I'm not fucking scared," Emmett said, swallowing hard. "I just think you're an idiot."

I shrugged. What did I care if I lost money on this? It wasn't like I didn't have a suitcase full of cash stashed away at the cottage. Two thousand dollars seemed like Monopoly money to me these days. Besides, I wasn't worried. I was pretty confident that he'd be groveling on his knees for a release within a minute and a half.

Emmett poised himself.

"Bring it," he shot at Rose, who smiled angelically back at him. I could already see his overconfident gaze falter slightly.

We all got comfortable as Rose made her way over to the large stereo in the corner. Without any reservations, she picked up a CD and popped it in. Glancing seductively at Emmett, she placed her index finger in her mouth and sucked it tauntingly before pressing play.

The alluring music started to play, and Rosalie's hips began to shake tantalizingly in Emmett's direction. The effect was instantaneous. His eyes immediately lit up brighter than the corny, large-fanged jack o lanterns Alice had strewn across the entire house.

She moved like an accomplished exotic dancer, bending sharply at her waist and snaking her body upright to the sensual beat, all the while giving him her most enticing vamtress gaze. There was no way in hell he had a chance against her. Even I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Emmett's right knee jerked, and a small chuckle escaped my lips, causing him to look over in my direction.

"Hey! I had an itch."

"Oh, I'm sure that's what it was," I nodded patronizingly.

"It ain't over yet," he said, glaring nervously at me. "I haven't even hit the two minute mark. Now shut it!"

I shrugged, pinching my lips closed to hold back my laughter. He really had no idea of the immense satisfaction I felt watching him squirm under Rosalie's spell.

Rose winked inconspicuously at me, and I urged her with a smile to continue. Really, this was too good to pass up. Emmett may have held the brawn in the Cullen family, but Rosalie definitely had the balls in their relationship.

She inched closer and closer to him, shaking her taught, perky breasts in time to the music. Emmett's eyes darted back and forth between them, completely lost in their hypnotic lure. I could've sworn I'd even detected a slight hint of drool dribbling down his chin. How that was even possible for a vampire, I wasn't sure.

But of course, I still had _a lot _to learn.

I was certain it wouldn't be long before Emmett would drop his jeans to the floor and take her from behind in front of all of us. God, I couldn't imagine Esme and Carlisle being able to stomach that kind of display in their pristine living room. Or Alice and Jasper, for that matter. The four of them seemed so much more reserved when it came to sex.

As for myself, I couldn't help but become a little turned on by the image of Emmett and Rose fucking their brains out on top of the piano. Thank god Edward couldn't read my thoughts. He'd be scared shitless of the things running through my dirty little mind tonight.

Rose made her way over to the table, lithely bending over to expose a small portion of her ass and dipping a single, manicured finger deep into a bowl of whipped cream. Without taking her eyes away from Emmett's, she slowly lifted a small dollop to her lips. She twirled her tongue around the tip until it glistened, then proceeded to trace her finger down her chest and between her breasts.

Emmett was breathing heavier now, trying to maintain his concentration on the task at hand. It was such a sorry sight. I was pretty sure that, had he been human, we would've had to call Forks EMS any minute. Rosalie was enough to induce a heart attack in even the strongest of men.

"Had enough yet baby?" she cooed, and Emmett nervously cleared his throat.

"You're just making a fool of yourself," he sighed.

"We'll see about that," she winked.

Curious, I chanced an inconspicuous glance down at Emmett's crotch, and couldn't believe the immense bulge that was already pressing hard against the front of his pants. That mother fucker was bound to pop out at any moment. Even the strongest fabric was no match for a raging vampire erection. Trust me…Edward and I had already tested that theory a few times. It shreds like tissue paper.

Unsatisfied with Emmett's lack of a sufficient reaction, Rose suddenly grasped her breasts and began to knead them gently as her body continued to writhe sinuously with the music. Her fingers grazed over the thin silk of her dress, causing her nipples to harden and press quite visibly through the dark fabric. She rolled them teasingly between her thumb and fingers, then let out a small, kittenish mew, causing Emmett to reach down and adjust his crotch.

"Good lord, enough already!" Edward bellowed, suddenly averting his eyes. "Get a fucking room! I really don't need to see Rose cause you to lose your shit…it'll give me a damn sister complex. Hell, the crap I'm picking up from both of your sick, twisted minds right now is enough to give me nightmares."

"Baby, you don't sleep," I mused, my own hips swaying to the beat.

"Yeah…well, I'm still going to end up in therapy after this," he rolled his eyes.

"I'M NOT FUCKING LOSING MY SHIT," Emmett protested, slapping his face hard. "She's just a fucking woman. I can resist a fucking woman."

"Oh?" Rosalie asked softly. "I beg to differ, my love. You're such a sexual beast, you'd fuck the entire Forks High School Cheerleading Squad if you thought you wouldn't kill them all in the process."

"Bah," he scoffed. "I have more resistance in my little pinky."

"Yeah, well your little pinky is about to pop," Carlisle said. "Take Edward's advice, son. Get a fucking room."

"Carlisle!" Esme gasped, her eyes wide. "Language!!"

"I was just stating a fact, my dear," Carlisle said, shooting her a playful glance.

"Five minutes," Jasper said, looking down at his watch. "Bella's out."

"Dammit!" I stomped. "Oh well, it's only money. And watching this is SO worth the loss."

"You're such a little freak," Alice giggled.

"You have no idea," Edward sighed.

I had to laugh. If Edward thought I was a freak now, I couldn't wait to show him what I had in store for him later.

Rose continued to dance closer to Emmett until she was practically on top of him. He stood as still as a frightened Bambi as she traced her hands along his chest. I had to hand it to my brother-in-law. He _was_ making her work for it. But she seemed to enjoy taunting him in return. It was a wicked little game, but Rosalie definitely knew how to work her assets to her advantage.

She slinked alongside Emmett, slowly pressing her body against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. With a ballerina's grace, she extended her leg up his body until her calf was perfectly level with his eyes. She allowed it to linger there momentarily then, just as gracefully, slid it back down his front and quickly hitched it around his waist.

No one dared make a sound as Rosalie began to grind tauntingly against his hip. Emmett began to lose focus as he fought to maintain his self-control. Going in for the kill, she leaned her head toward Emmett and proceeded to whisper something into his ear.

And that was all it took.

Exactly seven minutes into the bet, Emmett completely lost control. Seizing Rosalie forcefully by the wrists, he brought her around to face him and hungrily lowered his lips to hers. Without breaking contact, he lifted her into his arms and swiftly carried her across the living room.

As they made their way up the stairs, Rosalie cast a furtive glance in my direction. Smiling, she somehow communicated to me that the game was far from over. Whether Edward had picked up on her thoughts, I couldn't tell. He'd won the bet, and was too busy accepting congratulations from the others to really notice anything else.

To my complete shock, Rosalie had beckoned me to join them upstairs. A strange, carnal instinct arose within me. A fierce desire to follow…_to hunt_…sent my body into chaos. My muscles ached, and a feeling of urgency in my legs propelled me to move forward.

However, I knew that doing so would elicit curious glances from the rest of the family. I didn't know what I should do. I considered my options carefully. I could simply wander upstairs and make up some lame excuse…_I wanted to read? I needed quiet? _But I was afraid that Edward would want to join me, and I had a feeling that Rosalie had intended the invitation only for me.

And then I looked at Edward, and the answer hit me in an instant. His eyes were very dark and heavy. He was thirsty. He needed to hunt. He needed to feed.

Edward and I had always made it our ritual to hunt together. There had only been a handful of times since my rebirth that he had been willing to leave me behind. But if I could just convince him to go without me…just this once…then I would be able to avoid suspicion as to why I had retreated upstairs.

"Edward," I said, slowly making my way over to him.

"Yes, love?" he smiled, reaching up to stroke my hair.

I laid my hand gently upon his cheek and looked deep into his eyes. His gaze remained so loving and tender despite his hunger. I fought the urge to kiss him, knowing that it would only interfere with what I now needed to do.

"I think you should hunt tonight," I said softly, the painful eagerness continuing to grow within me. I knew it could only be satiated once I ascended those steps, and I did not want Edward to see how hard I was trying to make him leave. Working hard, I tried to keep my expression level.

"It's quarter to midnight," he said, looking at his watch. "If you're thirsty, we could go now and not worry about being seen."

"Actually, I'm not really that thirsty. I'm more worried about you." I ran my fingers over his eyes. "I hunted this morning while you were out, but I would really feel better if you'd go."

Edward considered my proposal for a moment, searching my eyes for any reason he should stay behind.

"Really, I'm alright," I said softly, laying a kiss on his cheek. "Why don't the rest of you go for awhile. I'll go next time. I promise."

"Alright," he said, kissing my forehead tenderly. "Carlisle had mentioned wanting to hunt for a few hours before daybreak. So if you'll be ok, then…"

"I'll be fine," I smiled. "Enjoy yourself, and I'll see you later."

Edward approached Carlisle, and after a moment the group uttered their goodnights and quickly departed into the night. I listened closely, training my ears on their footfalls until I was certain they were gone. I heard them bound across the river, then zealously turned my eyes back toward the stairs.

I had no doubt of what I would encounter as I slowly ascended the staircase. I reached the top landing and glanced to the left. An orange glow refracted off the walls, the source of light emitting from a cracked door halfway down the hall. Treading lightly, I made my way down the hall toward Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom.

Although Rosalie had willingly extended this strange invitation, I couldn't help but feel I was intruding on a very private party. I reached the door and placed my palm on its shiny oak surface, hesitating for a brief moment. Slowly, I nudged it open and allowed my eyes to adjust to the bright yellow-white luminosity within.

Emmett lay completely naked upon the bed, Rosalie's own naked form straddled across his hips. For a moment, they looked completely statuesque. To any normal person, it would seem as if Emmett was actually asleep.

But I knew otherwise.

Rosalie had obviously been waiting to feel my presence in the hall. She turned her gaze toward me, silently ordering me to stay exactly where I was. I was not to come in, nor was I to leave. I would remain quietly standing upon the threshold, a privileged guest to their carnal display.

Rosalie turned back to face Emmett, leaning over to place a tender and seductive kiss upon his lips. The scene reminded me of a reversal of Sleeping Beauty, with Emmett subsequently released from Rosalie's hypnotic spell as her lips grazed over his.

Awakened at last, Emmett's hands reached around to grasp her waist, and he began to move her up and down in a gentle, flowing rhythm upon his hard cock. Their skin sparkled ethereally in the candlelight with each movement, casting glimmering rays of light on every surface of the room.

As Emmett gradually increased the speed of her motions, Rosalie reached upward and removed the pins from her hair. Her blonde curls cascaded down her back and over her supple breasts. She ran her fingers through her hair, lowering slightly and giving his mouth a full-access pass. Emmett ran his tongue lightly over her skin, stopping intermittently to take one of her nipples into his mouth. The two of them never broke eye contact as their bodies continued to ebb and flow in haunting unison.

I continued to watch them attentively. Every extremity in my body burned with an aching desire to enter the room…and their bed. The sensation was reminiscent of the terrible thirst I'd experienced my first days of my immortal life. My body ached, and at that moment I craved Rosalie's permission to quench this excruciating hunger.

As their passion increased in intensity, so too did my yearning for release. I began to experience phantom sensations of pleasure as I imagined Emmett's cock thrusting harder and faster into Rosalie. I could feel the heat--the force of it driving deeper and deeper into her wet chasm. This heightened awareness of my body was exasperating, and unbearable.

Feeling as if I might lose control at any moment, I grasped the wall tightly, feeling the hard plaster crumble between my strong fingers. It somehow gave me the power to restrain my urge to step over the threshold and join them in their beautiful roundelay.

Rosalie never broke rhythm as Emmett's hands began to trace the artistic contours of her body. His fingers glided across her abdomen, then skimmed the soft indentation between her ribcage. He slid his hands upward, cupping the underside of her heaving breasts and teasing her pert nipples with the tips of his thumbs.

She let out a soft, guttural moan as he continued to knead her breasts. I found myself absently tracing the curves of my own, fondling and pinching, my mind swimming with need for physical contact. My knees felt weak despite their strength. Fire seemed to flow through my hardened veins. The agony of this vicarious experience was almost too much to bear.

Almost…

My vocal chords began to vibrate in the back of my throat, and a small whimper escaped from my chest. I feared this one muffled display of weakness might destroy their concentration and ruin the entire encounter. However, neither of them broke form. Their bodies continued to writhe and meld together until, all at once, the two exploded into a fit of ecstasy that caused my own body to tremble.

Rosalie's head thrashed wildly, her hair drifting from side to side as she began to come. Emmett continued to drive into her until, lost in her sensual divinity. And then, with one final, powerful thrust, he proceeded to cum inside her with a loud, animalistic growl that seemed to derive from the depths of his soul.

I bit my bottom lip hard, trying to quell my own urge to call out in agony. I couldn't take anymore, and yet I wanted more in equal measure. I wanted to experience the same blissful ending that I'd just witnessed. I hated Rosalie in that moment. I hated that she had invited me up here, only to torture my mind and body with her deadly game. I wanted to rip her limb from limb.

However, once the fervor of the moment began to subside, Emmett reached out to Rosalie. He grasped her arms and gently pulled her down toward him, their bodies entwining into a tender embrace. They caressed one another so lovingly and, feeling that the privilege of experiencing their lovemaking had now come to an end, I took a step back out into the hall. I grasped the doorknob and quietly allowed them their privacy.

It was at that moment that I heard the sound of the back door and footsteps moving through the living room. I hastily began to make my way back down the hallway toward the stairs when suddenly I heard the sound of a door creak from behind. I turned, meeting Rosalie's blissful gaze as she tiptoed toward me.

"R-rose…I…"

I realized I was still shaking. Although the urge to kill her had subsided, the pain had not quite disappeared.

"Shhh," she said, placing a finger on my trembling lips. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Umm…yes. I mean…I guess…" I had become so flustered by everything that I couldn't form a coherent sentence anymore.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd only imagined her invitation. Maybe she'd been telling me to leave, and didn't want to make a scene when I remained in their doorway. However, those fears were instantly extinguished when a smile formed on Rosalie's face.

"You know," she said, casting me a knowing glance. "You're more in control of yourself than you realize, Bella. Most vampires wouldn't have been able to handle the agony you just experienced. But I have to agree with Carlisle…you are definitely one of a kind."

"I-I don't…_what?_"I stuttered, my voice still shaking from the residual ache.

"Edward never explained this to you, did he?" she sighed, shaking her head. "It's not surprising. He still thinks you're so fragile. He' worried that bombarding you with too much knowledge at one time will somehow break you into tiny pieces. But he should have known better and explained what you're going through a bit more thoroughly."

I narrowed my eyes, seriously confused as to what she was trying to say. She seemed to sense this, and her expression softened.

"Our kind are very passionate creatures. Sometimes dangerously so. We experience emotions on a higher level than humans. Our sexual appetites, much like our blood lust, can become excruciatingly painful if we don't learn to control them. It's an obsession, really. Just as we need blood to quench our thirsts, we crave physical contact to make us feel alive."

I nodded, still not quite understanding how this explained what I'd just witnessed in her bedroom.

"So you invited me to watch because…"

"I invited you to watch because I was testing a theory…and trying to prove a point to Emmett,' she smiled. "I had a hunch that your ability to control your sexual impulses was just as developed as your ability to resist human blood. And I was right, as I often am in these situations."

"But you saw me earlier with Edward," I insisted. "I can't even kiss him without losing control. It's pathetic."

"Yes, it's pathetic," she vehemently agreed. "But you _do_ have the power to control it. You just choose not to."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because, to put it mildly, if you didn't have control over it then our little foray would have become a violent little Rosalie/Emmett/Bella sandwich the moment you saw us. Not that Emm would have minded, I'm sure…"

"But I stayed at the door," I whispered, more to myself than Rosalie.

"Exactly, Bella. You stayed at the door, just as I'd asked you to. You didn't move a single centimeter from where you'd I stopped you," she grinned. "Granted, I'll have to have Emmett mend the wall thanks to your little death grip. But otherwise, you passed the test with flying colors."

"But how did I do that? I can't even think straight when I'm with Edward?"

"I already told you…you can. But it's like Emmett said…mind over matter. You didn't rely on your instinct to react because you consciously realized that it would be wrong of you to do so."

As I began to process what had happened, everything suddenly began to make perfect sense. My intrigue was strong as I watched Rosalie lure Emmett into her power, and I'd instantly become aroused the moment Rosalie had beckoned me to follow them up the stairs. And yet I'd held on to my control in front of the others. I'd remained patient as they prepared to leave for the hunt, and I'd actually hesitated against my burning desire not only to watch, but to satisfy my own carnal needs.

Rosalie was right. The ability was there. I just needed to conscientiously learn to control it.

"Bella?" I heard a familiar, loving voice call out to me from the top of the stairs. "Oh, hey Rose. What are you two up to?"

I immediately panicked. Edward would see into Rosalie's mind for sure, and he would know exactly what had happened.

"Baby, I can explain," I said nervously.

But Rose cut me to the chase. She put a hand on my shoulder, and my trembling subsided.

"Girl talk," Rosalie hissed. "And you weren't invited. Is that a problem?"

Edward's gaze darted between my face and Rosalie's, finally settling onto mine once again. He looked at me as lovingly and tenderly as he ever had. There was no inkling of suspicion or disgust in his beautiful, vividly amber eyes. Only love.

"Well," he sighed. "I hope you had more fun than we did. There was a slim selection of prey tonight, and Alice whined incessantly because she couldn't find a damn beaver. Finicky little bitch. I swear, Jasper and I nearly ripped her apart halfway through for the sake of silence. All over a fucking _beaver_."

Rosalie and I broke into an instant fit of laughter, and Edward looked at us as if we were insane.

"Yes," Rosalie chuckled. "Well, I'd say we definitely had an entertaining evening. Actually, it was quite enlightening. A learning experience, really."

Rose leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, garnering a strange look from Edward.

"Practice," she whispered in my ear quietly enough that he couldn't hear.

I nodded, and without another word, she returned to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"What the hell is up with her?" Edward said, looking a bit freaked out at her warmth toward me. I still couldn't believe that he hadn't mentioned what he'd seen in her mind. There was no way he couldn't have seen it.

"Like she said…girl talk."

"Well, that explains why she was trying to hard to block me from penetrating her mind. That's really starting to piss me off. First you, and now Rose. She's learning it from you, you know."

"So you couldn't see anything about what we…umm…talked about?"

"Not a fucking thing," he grumbled. "But I'm sure you'll tell me."

"Honestly, I'm sick of talking," I purred. "I'd rather show you what I'm thinking."

"Mmm," he said, kissing me sweetly. His lips lingered on mine for a moment, and then I suddenly pulled away.

Edward looked at me in complete disbelief.

"What the hell was that?" he said, his eyes wide.

"What?" I asked, looking as innocent as I possibly could.

"You just…" He ran a hand through his hair feverishly, looking shell shocked. "Bella, you didn't attack me."

"Hmm…you're right," I said. "I didn't attack you. Interesting."

"How the fuck did you manage to pull that off?"

"I guess I'm just growing up," I shrugged.

Edward looked at me for a moment, then lowered his eyes to the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he pouted. "I was just kind of looking forward to being ravaged tonight. That's all."

A wicked smile emerged on my face, and I slid my arms around his neck. I know Rose had insisted that I practice, but what was one more night? I mean, really? One more night wasn't going to kill me…technically I was already dead.

And besides, it was Halloween and I'd had my fill of tricks for one evening.

Edward was finally home and in my arms.

Time to bring on the treats!!


End file.
